Tool for installing well pipe protector



Oct. 17, 1961 c. H. coLLE'r-r TOOL FOR INSTALLING WELL PIPE PROTECTOR ""5 Filed Dec. l, 1958 JNVENToR. Cf/Qe/ Es CLLETT BY f/f /fr rraeA/Eys.

United States Patent 3,004,335 TOOL FOR INSTALLING WELL PIPE PROTECTOR casi-res H. Ceneri, 4116 Riverside Drive, Burbank, Calif.

Filed Dec. 1, 1958, Ser. No. 777,471 8 Claims. (Cl. 29-267) facility-and speed in the operations of applying and re-v moving the protector, providing the applicator tool is capable of quick Iand easy manipulation and is otherwise practicable for association with'the collar for both tensioning and releasing of the collar.

the collar in its tene My general object is to provide an applicator tool answering to these requirements byV virtue of its simple and practical construction, and the facility with which it may be hand manipulated-to apply great stresses required for tensioning of the collar. j

structurally, the invention contemplates forming lthe tool with few, strongly constructedparts comprising the general combination of a body carrying a pair of collarengaging jaws,`1 and handlesl operatively associated with the jaws to a degree of mechanical advantage such that manual manipulation of the handles by a single operator cantransmitthrough the jaws very great tensioning forces to the protector collar.N In achieving such rforce transmission, the handles are adapted to actuate cam means acting to produce relative movement together of the jaw terminals at great mechanical advantage achieved by long handle leverage exerted against relatively very short leverage transmitted through the cam means, all to the end that a single operator may quickly and easily bring the protector sleeve to that high degree of tension ree quired for locking or unlocking it about the pipe.

The invention has various additional and specic features and objects such as the novel form and arrangement of the jaws within the body structure, the contact and leverage relation between the jaws and cam surface on the inner ends of the handles, and the provision of means for adjustably varying the range of the cam action, all of which will be understood to better advantage without necessity for further preliminary discussion, from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawing illustrative of a preferred although typical embodiment of the invention, and in which:

FIG. l is a plan view showing the tool applied to a protector collar to be tensioned about the drill pipe;

FIGJ. is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 1, with the top section of the tool body removed and the jaw actuating handles expanded to bring the jaws to the position at which the protective collar is locked in tensioned condition;

`FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section on line 3--3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. l.

In the drawings I have shown as an illustrative split sleeve protector, a structure comprising a generally cylindrical rubber body 10 internally reinforced by a metallic band 11 which may also carry projections (not shown) for engaging and gripping the drill pipe 12, the band being embedded in the rubber body and having terminal ICE loops 13 and 14 within interfitting hinge-like projection forming the Sides of the collar at the split or gap 15.` The band =11; is `shown to carry near the terminal loops,

riveted-on welded metal cleats 16 engageable by the later 5 described tool jaws inserted Within openings 17 in the rubber body to constrict the collar to the FIG. 2 position and bring loops 13 and 14 into alignment for reception of a locking pin 18. Y

The applicator tool, generally indicated at 20, is shown,

to comprise abody 21 formed of spaced plates 22 and 23 the projector sleeve. vThe jaws have integral tapered portions 28 projecting from the opposite side of the body and having appropriate terminal congurations, such as the reduced diameter tips 2:9, for engagement with the cleats 14. As will be apparent, the jaws are capable of swinging movement relatively together and apart in their cooperation with the protector collar.

Handles 25 are pivoted by pins or bolts 30 and 31 terminating in the plates 22 and 23 at the outer sides of the jaws 24 and at locations near the sides of the body nearest the protector sleeve. extents beyond the pivots 30 and 31, comprising inner lengths 33- which may be brought into substantial parallelism in the FIG. 1 position, and outer angular lengths 34 Vwhich cross in the corresponding position, as illustrated. The inner endV faces of the handles are cam surfaces 35 adapted to bear against the sides of the jaw Shanks 26 and having such" curvature as will swing the jaw terminals Vrelatively together as the handles are swung from the EIG.1 tothe FIG. Z positions. The leverages or radial distances of the cam surfaces 35 from the axial centers of the pins 30 and 31 are very short in relation to the long extents of the handles beyond the pivots, so that jaw converging force applied to the handles in fully spreading them is transmitted at very great mechanical advantage to the jaw surfaces. Consequently, manual actuation of the handles by a single operator can produce very great forces acting to converge the jaws from the FlG. 1 condition to the band constricted and locked condition of FIG. 2.

It will be observed that between their FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 positions, the handles may be swung from one side of the common axial plane P-P' ofthe pins 30 and 31 into alinement with or somewhat beyond that plane, to limiting positions arrested by engagement of inner portions of the handles with stop pins 3d. In the FIG. l position of the handles, their inner extents 33 may engage against the outer sides of the jaw Shanks 26, where stop pins 36 are received within recesses 37 in the handles.

To provide for exactness in the terminal approaches of the jaws in their fully converged position of FIG. 2, provision is made for varying the effective range or throw of at least one of the cams 35. For this purpose, pin 31 is shown to carry an integral eccentric enlargement or sleeve 38 which is rotatably adjustable within opening 39 in the corresponding handle to vary the jaw displacing range of the associated cam, the eccentric being held, after adjustment, in fixed position by tightening nut 40.

If desired, the body plates 22 and 23 may be additionally held together by a bolt 42 extending centrally through the plates.

The tool 20 has such lightweight and convenient portability as to permit its quick and easy application to the protector sleeve in the FIG. 1 condition. With the jaw terminals 29 thus engaged against the cleats 14, the handles may be spread outwardly to the fully opened positions of FIG. 2 in which the jaw terminals 24 have become Patented Oct, 17, -1961 The handles haveA long the protector sleeve is to be removedy fromithe pipe, the i tool is similarly manipulated to relieve the.'loop pull on the pin 18 and thus permit removal of the Ypin and restoration of the protector collar to untensioned condition.

I claim: Y Y

l. A tool lfor tensioning about well drill pipe a iiexible split protector collar, comprisingv a supporting member, a pair of jaws having terminals projecting'from one side of said member for engagement with the protector collar at opposite sides of its split, a pair of elongated jaw actuating handles pivoted to said member and swingable apart from positions beyond the side of said member opposite its rst mentioned side to spread positions in which the inner end extents of the handles come substantially into longitudinal alignment, means pivotally mounting the jaws to said member for relative lateral movement together of their collar-engageable terminals to predetermined inner-most collar tensioning positions, and said jaws and handles having interengageable portions actuable by swinging movements of the handles to niove the jaw terminals relatively together to said innermost collar tensioning positions when the handles areswung tosaid spread positions at which their inner extents are substantially aligned. Y y

2. A tool according to claim 1, in which thel jaws are substantially straight and said jaw terminals have substantially cylindrical ends.

3. A tool according to claim l, in which said inner end extents of the handles are swingable into a common .plane of alignment and then beyond that plane.

4. A tool according to claim l, in which the jaw-engaging portions of the handles are cam surfaces on the handles.

5. A 1001 for tensioning about wen drin pipe a nexibie' split protector collar, comprising a body including a pair of spaced plates, a pair of jaws carried between said plates and having terminals projecting from one side thereof for engagement with the protector collar at opposite sides of its split, pivots mounting thejaws ,for movement of their terminals together and apart, a pair of elongated jaw actuating handles eite'nding from between said plates at the outsides of said jaws and swingable apart from positions at the side of the bodyropposite its first-'mentioned side, pivots nearer said terminals of said jaws than the first-mentioned pivots for mounting the handles for swinging movement, and cam surfaces on the inner ends of the handles engage'able with'thesides ofthe jaws at locations between their pivots andterininals to move said terminals together for tensioning of the protector collar about the pipe.

6. A tool accordingt'o rclaim 5, in which'the inner extents of the handles areA swingable from jaw expanded References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,064,404 walker init June 10, 1913 a5 1,523,930 Bush i Jan. 20, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 63,213 Germany July 8, 1892 Patent Noq 39004,]335

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE October 17 196i `'Charles I-I Collett It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered pat ent requiring correction and that the seid Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2 line 4 after urlveted-on"" insert or rw.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST We. SWIDER Attesting Officer Ac t i ng Commissioner of Patents 

